Chris Reinersman, Mayor
Chris Reinersman was first elected to City Council in 2010 and was elected Mayor in November 2014.
Chris, his wife Jeanette, and their three children moved to Independence after purchasing and rehabbing on old Victorian home in the downtown, Courthouse Square area in 2001. Chris attended Northern Kentucky University and has worked as a commercial real estate appraiser for more than twenty-five years. In 2002 he left US Bank, after 13 years, as an Assistant Vice President and Senior Commercial Appraiser. He formed The Reinersman Company, Commercial Real Estate Appraisal and Construction Draw Inspections, and has been an Independence business owner since.
In 2008, Chris was appointed by Mayor Moriconi to the Independence Strategic Action Committee (ISAC) and served as Vice Chairman. ISAC was formed to advise council on the implementation of the Small Area Study (SAS). This study was completed in recognition of the fact that Independence was undergoing rapid growth and appropriate planning was needed. In addition, Chris chaired ISAC's Historic Preservation Subcommittee and was also appointed to serve on the Independence Zoning Update steering committee. Chris is an active member of St. Cecilia parish and a charter member of the Independence Business Association.
Chris's primary goals are fiscal responsibility, smart growth and economic development. He believes fiscal responsibility not only includes careful spending, but prudent investment in the future and enhancing revenue through economic development. He feels his experience as a member of ISAC, as well as 25+ years of experience as a commercial real estate appraiser, help him assist the city with the challenges of the strong projected growth. Chris believes in carefully and actively planning for growth, rather than letting businesses and developers determine the landscape of our city. He further believes this should all be done with an eye on the history of the city so we don't lose sight of what made Independence a great place to begin with. Finally, he believes economic development needs to be a priority. The rapid residential growth of the city in the past couple of decades will result in an increased strain on public services as streets and other infrastructure deteriorate. Employers need to be actively recruited to the area over the next several years, in order to avoid substantial increases in residential property taxes down the road.
